Barely an hour after the NBA draft lottery outcomes had been revealed to the world reside from Chicago, and only a few blocks away from the place the annual ceremony befell, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress each arrive on set for our cowl shoot on the most picturesque indoor fitness center in all of America. Situated at 167 Inexperienced within the Fulton Market District, the seventeenth ground hardwood courtroom, known as City Corridor, options gorgeous panoramic skyline views of Chi City from nearly each facet you flip due to its floor-to-ceiling glass partitions.
The view offers a calmness impact after the ruckus from the earlier hour, when each gamers discovered the quick checklist of groups which might be most probably to finish up drafting them in June. It’s been fairly the journey for this duo—one that can have them stamped in school hoops historical past for eternity.
SLAM 250 that includes Donovan Clingan and Stephon Fortress is obtainable now.
Clingan, a 7-2 middle, gained back-to-back nationwide titles in his solely two seasons at UConn. He averaged 13 factors, 7.4 boards and a couple of.5 blocks per sport this previous season, incomes him a spot on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Midseason Watch Record, the 2024 NCAA Closing 4 All-Match Workforce and a ’24 NCAA East Area Most Excellent Participant nod.
In the meantime, Fortress, a 6-6 freshman wing who averaged 11.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds and a couple of.9 assists whereas turning into a high perimeter defender for the Huskies, made his personal imprint within the historical past books. He set a brand new Huge East document with 11 Freshman Convention Participant of the Week honors, surpassing Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. He was additionally the primary Huskie since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Huge East Freshman Participant of the Yr.
We sat down with each projected top-10 picks after our shoot to debate their historic run, their chemistry and their NBA outlook, amongst many different matters.
SLAM: It’s been a couple of weeks because you guys lower down the nets and made historical past, going back-to-back as nationwide champs. Now that you simply’ve had a while to course of all of it, how do you place into phrases the accomplishment?
Donovan Clingan: To win back-to-back, you understand, for me personally, was one thing actually particular simply because there’s not too many individuals that might go round saying that they’ve completed one thing that particular. We did it in such a historic program that has numerous historical past, and it’s a spot the place it’s arduous to make historical past. However to go on the market and do among the most historic issues which have occurred in this system was one thing actually particular. I feel UConn is a particular place that can at all times be residence to me. I do know Steph will say the identical factor. I’m simply tremendous, tremendous blessed to have the ability to have achieved what I’ve achieved, and I’ll be endlessly grateful for my two years at UConn.
Stephon Fortress: I imply, truthfully, it actually nonetheless doesn’t even really feel actual to me. I solely gained as soon as, I can solely think about what it looks like for DC. Simply the entire expertise was tremendous, tremendous enjoyable.
It actually was a blessing simply to be on the market with the nice group that we had. We had an actual particular group. Like [DC] mentioned, it’s undoubtedly a second residence for me.
SLAM: At what particular level within the season do you keep in mind feeling like y’all had a very good likelihood to run all of it again?
DC: I really feel like once we went on our journey to Europe [UConn played in Monte Carlo and Spain last summer—Ed.], we noticed the potential we had. To be trustworthy, I really feel like I didn’t know if a nationwide title was a risk once more, simply because I noticed how arduous it was the 12 months earlier than, and we had been going to have a giant goal on our again, however once we bought again from Europe, we had like two weeks off and we got here again in for the beginning of follow within the common season. And you may simply inform the vitality and the desire of everybody on the staff, everybody on the employees, everybody within the constructing, actually, simply needed to go on the market and win each sport, each evening.
SC: Early within the season, I didn’t understand how good we had been. I imply, we at all times talked about going back-to-back and chasing a nationwide championship, however I really feel like each faculty talks about going for a nationwide championship. I really feel prefer it was concerning the midpoint of the season, in all probability like the place the Huge East [season] actually kicked off, once I kinda knew, like, we actually had an opportunity at successful the entire thing over once more.
SLAM: Donovan, your freshman season, you solely averaged 13 minutes per sport however performed a significant position within the rotation on the 2023 nationwide championship staff. What did you be taught from that group that you simply had been then capable of apply to this previous season, if you turned a significant point of interest?
DC: Simply realizing all the things I needed to give each single day. I performed [in practice] towards probably the most dominant huge within the nation in Adama [Sanogo], who went into follow and into exercises each single day understanding that he’s gonna get higher and understanding that the staff was gonna want him that 12 months to make a giant bounce [and] lead us to the place we needed to go. I really feel like that was one thing for me, coming into the season—I’ve to make a giant bounce. I’ve to be a pacesetter. I’ve to dominate the ground on the offensive and defensive finish. I simply gotta give my all, day in and time out, simply to ensure that this staff wins.
SLAM: Steph, you bought thrown proper into the fireplace regardless of being a freshman—you had been a starter from the very first sport, and solely got here off the bench a couple of occasions as a consequence of an early season harm. What was the early problem like for you?
SC: I imply, it was undoubtedly arduous at first. Undoubtedly one thing that it’s a must to actually regulate to and actually simply embrace. However I really feel like my teammates, they’d numerous confidence in me this 12 months and so they instilled numerous confidence in myself. So, simply going on the market, simply trusting my work that I put in and simply understanding that the coaches imagine in what I do.
SLAM: Donovan, you determined to return to school with out even testing the NBA waters in 2023. A reporter afterward mentioned that NBA scouts believed you may have been chosen anyplace between 25 and 40 within the draft that 12 months. Why did you assume it was vital to return?
DC: I knew I needed to mature as an individual, as a participant. I needed to develop my sport in some ways. I solely performed 13 minutes a sport final 12 months. I needed to go on the market and be a starter, attempt to lead the staff to a different nationwide title and I simply needed to go play for UConn. I like Coach [Dan] Hurley, I like that employees, I like the varsity, and I simply needed to attempt to be a part of one thing actually particular and to have the ability to say that I did which means so much to me.
SLAM: Steph, do you keep in mind the second if you realized that regardless of being a freshman who’s beginning for the reigning nationwide champs, you had what it took to carry your personal at an elite degree?
SC: I don’t keep in mind the precise follow however I do know I used to be frying although, that’s the one factor I do keep in mind. I feel I used to be on the second staff on the time, too. So, that undoubtedly gave me numerous confidence going into it, particularly getting back from an harm.
SLAM: Are there components of your sport that you simply didn’t get an opportunity to showcase in school as a result of the staff didn’t want you to, that you simply’re now excited to have the ability to present on the subsequent degree?
DC: Yeah, to have the ability to step out, shoot the three ball a little bit extra, play off the dribble, actually simply working that midrange sport and setting the pick-and-pops and simply roll to the rim, lobs. You recognize, Coach Hurley had an incredible sport plan for this staff. He at all times put us in the perfect place doable and my staff didn’t want me to shoot threes to win video games. That’s one thing I didn’t should do. [But] that’s one thing I’m gonna should do to take my sport to the following degree and succeed on the highest degree.
SC: I imply, in all probability simply being on the ball extra, taking extra pictures, like off the dribble and stuff like that. I really feel like Coach had an incredible scheme for us and he requested particularly what he wanted for us to win a championship. And I assumed we bought it completed. But when there was something, I’ll say taking pictures off the dribble, playmaking a little bit extra on the ball and, you understand, stuff like that.
SLAM: Steph, you set the Huge East document for many Convention Freshman of the Week honors, and in doing so, you surpassed Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. What did that historic feat imply to you?
SC: It meant so much, simply to place my title subsequent to these high-level kind of men. You recognize, I really feel like that meant so much for my profession and what my legacy was at UConn for that quick time. However numerous that credit score goes to my teammates and my coaches. I really feel like they put me in an incredible place to achieve success in these video games. I simply needed to go on the market and simply be myself. I really feel like numerous credit score goes to them.
SLAM: You additionally turned the primary UConn males’s participant since Rudy Homosexual in 2005 to win Huge East Freshman of the Yr.
SC: I wouldn’t say it was recurrently only a purpose for me, but it surely’s undoubtedly behind your head as you’re enjoying. It’s one thing that you simply sort of shoot for. So, like DC mentioned, it’s a fairly historic faculty. There’s been numerous nice names to return out of there, so simply to have my title beside these guys and instilled in that historical past endlessly, it’s tremendous particular to me.
SLAM: Donovan, do you might have an off-the-court story of Stephon that you simply’d say completely displays his persona when the cameras aren’t rolling?
DC: I imply, Steph likes to nap. He likes to sleep. After we had been on the way in which again from Europe, I keep in mind earlier than we unnoticed of Barcelona—like, I don’t assume everybody was even on the aircraft but—he was already asleep, and he didn’t get up till the lights turned on once we landed in Boston. It was like an eight-hour flight, and he didn’t get up as soon as. Not even to make use of the lavatory. Nothing. And I used to be identical to, That’s Steph! Like, when he’s sleeping, he’s sleeping. However when he’s up, he’s simply hooping. However he simply likes to nap. Each time I see him, he’s napping. On the bus, on the aircraft—he’s napping.
SLAM: What about you, Steph—any good Donovan tales?
SC: So, it’s in the future in follow—I feel [Donovan], he wasn’t having the perfect follow. He was sort of mad at himself. I wish to say he kicked one thing or he punched the backboard or it was one thing loopy like that, however he damage himself. And we had a sport arising. I imply, we at all times referred to as him “Cling Kong,” so I really feel like that was certainly one of his moments. He ripped his shirt in follow, punched the backboard, he began screaming. He was going loopy.
DC: I wish to win [shrugs with a smile].
SC: It’s follow, although [laughs].
DC: It’s OK, I don’t lose.
SC: I don’t keep in mind the entire story. I do know you’ll be able to inform the story.
DC: I imply, I get upset generally with how I’m enjoying, and if I’m not doing what I’m imagined to do on the ground, I take it out on myself. And I put numerous stress on myself. I do exactly get pissed off at occasions—
SC: [interrupting Donovan] You ever seen any person punch the backboard with out leaping?
DC: I simply wish to win [laughs].
SLAM: When individuals discuss concerning the 2023-2024 UConn Males’s staff 10, 20 years from now, what do you hope they are saying by way of your legacy?
SC: I feel we is perhaps up there as top-of-the-line school basketball groups ever, as a result of if you consider it, our solely video games we misplaced had been away video games, and certainly one of them, we didn’t even have our full staff. [Actually], two of them—one sport I used to be damage after which one sport [DC] bought damage.
DC: Simply to be remembered as certainly one of, if not the perfect school basketball staff ever. There was a bunch of men who gave it their all each single day for 11 months of the 12 months. It’s a particular group. We had been a brotherhood. Everybody cherished one another, and that’s going to be a particular staff. There’s nobody that’s going to be unnoticed endlessly. We’re all going to remain in contact, we’re all gonna be brothers for all times, and that’s simply one thing that’s actually vital to me.
Portraits by Joe Pinchin. Motion photographs by way of Getty Pictures.